Illuminated automobile signal



June 12, 1923. 1,458,336

4 S'. G. GRANDJEAN lET AL ILLUMINATED AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Filed July 2., 1921 2 Sheecs-Sheet 1 SLQW ) FT/z V3/DWK Sm@ uw i 9* June l2, 1923. 1,458,336I

. S. G. GRANDJEAN ET AL ILLUMINATED AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL' Filed July 2. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wY www 3%@ Patented J une l2, *1923ia UNITED STATES;

PATENTv OFFICE.

, SIDNEY GEORGE ,GRANDJEAN AND'JEssE y:roiiN DARCEY, or BRAITHWAITE,

' LOUISIANA.`

y' ILLUMINATED AUTOMOBILI; sIeNAI..

' `new and useful Improvements inllluniinated Automobile -Signalsfof whichthe tol` lowing is a speciiication.

'Our present invention-[has for its object the provision ot. a simple, compactand fre-L lia-ble automobile signal through the medium oit which the driver of aniaiitomobile is eni abled to communicate hisintentions to perr 'r sons at theback-of the car asA well'astoper-y i sons infront ofthe -car heis driving.

To the attainment of they foregoing," the In the accompanying drawings,"forming` part of thisk specifications-1 1 side of the signal constituting thel best practicall embodiment of our inventionthat-ive have as yet devised.

Figure 2is a vertical section taken in aplane parallel tov Figure '1d Figure 3 isa vertical section taken transversely of Figure 2.

Figure 4- is a horizontal section on the line LM-1 of FigureA 2. f

Figure 5 isa detail perspective showing a portion. oft the panel hereinafter referred to in detail. y Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views -oi' the drawings. y

Among other elements our novel signal comprises a casing body 1, preferably of sheet metal and normally closed through the medium of a door 2, hinged at 3 .and designed' to be retained detachably in closed position through the medium of a latch 4, Figure 2. Formed by stenciling in the Jfront ard rear walls of the casing body 1, Figure 4t, are the words Slow, Right, Left, Back and lStop, the said words being each arranged in a horizontal line, and the said lines-being arranged in a vertical series as clearly shown in Figure 1. Arranged within'the casing body 1 and immediately against the side walls of the casing body are panes of glass 5 and 6, the glass 5 at the rear being prefer` ably colored red and the glass 6 atl the "ront being preferably colored green.

192i.v serial No; 482,241.

door 2, the signal comprises'areniovable panel 7 anda plurality oli' horizontally disposed partitions 8, the said partitions 8 be ingpreierablyy of sheet metal and iixedly joined in appropriate manner 4to the wall 9 ot the casing body remote from the door 2'. The-said-partitions 8 are also approximately joined to upright rods 10 of wire which extend between and are connected to the n oper` and lower endwalls of the casing body 1, with the result that the partitions yS are strongly maintained in spaced relation Vin the'casing body. As best sho-wn in Figure `3 each of the partitions 8 isv provided with rearrand forward flanges 11 which ydepend fromr the partitions and are concave-convex' in [vertical section.l These flanges 11 serve to receiveand hold pads 12 -oii' wicking, rope or the like; the said pads 12 being interposed n y between the panes of glass 5 and 6 and the Figure 1'is an elevation showing trie rear` Harige lland being adapted to serve vthe iniportant purposes of p re'rventingy rattling or breaking oit' the panes of glass,-and preclud- I ing the passage of light from one compart- `and also between the top and bottom walls thereof as best shown in Figures 2 and 4. The said panel 7 is equipped with spring clips 14, the function of which is to detachably connect it tol the ends of the partitions 8 adjacent to the door 2. It will thus be seen that the panel 7 is strongly maintained in proper working position in the casing body 1 and yet is susceptible ,of ready removal from said casing body 1 when oc casion. demands. At intervals in its length the panel 7 is provided with apertures 15 to snugly receive sockets 16 of incandescent electric lamps 17 of which there is one employed to yeach compartment 13. Manifestly when the panel y7 is removed from the casing body 1, the lamps 17 may be quickly and easily disassociated from their sockets 16 and replaced with fresh lamps.

yWe contemplate controlling our novel signal through the medium of a fivey gang switch appropriately mounted on or at- Figure 2 from the said switch through the bottom of the casing body l tothe several lampsoclrets.. W' e also contemplate the-em'- ployinent of an arrangement that includes the grounding of the metallic casing body l to the car to make the return and comple-te the circuit. This yelectric arrangement, however, is not of our inventionand we have therefore deemed it unnecessary to illustrate and specifically'v describe the"y same'. In order to intensity the light Within the compartments 13v We prefer to make theA insides of the compartments ot reflecting This, however, isnot of the essence metal. oit our invention.

It Will be apparent from the foregoing, that'by manipulating the switch alludedto, thefoperator of an automobile may illuminate Aany one of the compartments 13 Whereupon the illuminated Word in the rear and forward Walls of the casing body l will convey to persons in rear andin t'ront'vot acer, the intention of the driver.` of the car; willA also be apparent that the device is simple and inexpensive in constructionA andis Well adapted to withstand the usage to which automobile signals'are ordinarily. subjected. i

We have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement ot' parts embraced in thevpresent and `preferred embodiment of our invention lty may be; madesuch as fall Within the scope off our invention as denedi-inourr appended claim.

Having described our invention, What We claim and' desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

An automobile signal comprising` a casing body having a Wall and signal openings therein, afdoor: complementary to said body, a pane 'of' glass Within the casing body and against the Wall` in Which the signal openings are provided, partitions in the casing body in spaced relation to each other-and having-lateral edge flanges of concavo-convex ornrinsectionvviththeir concave sides opposed to'said glass, said partitions torming compartmentsone to each signal opening; packing strips' held in said Hanges against the pane of glass toprevent rattling and the passage of light, means interposed between'opposite walls of the casing body and extendingvk atV rightV angles to the partitions andv engaging-the partitions to assist in maintaining the latter in position, a removable panel disposed in the casing bodyv in spacedv relation to saidr door and having means detachably engaging the endsfof the partitionstohold the panel tothe partitions and also having apertures, and incandescent lamp sockets arranged inthe saidv apertures of the panel and adaptedto carry bulbs one for each compartment formedby the said partitions.

In testimony whereof; We afix our signatures.

SIDNEY cEoRcE GRANDJEAN. nessi; JOHN DARCEY. 

